The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-29
prevent its spreading among the vast cattle

NorQS OF
Mr.. Swinburne, Of New York, opposed the
BILL and while disclafmipg any personal feeling |
against the officials of the Agricultural Depart
ment, characterized the report of the Commits
sioner upon pleuro-pneumonia as unreliable and
untruthful, and denounced the Chief of the
Bureau Of Animal Industry lDr Salmon) as a
would be national butcher, and as either deceit
full or ignorant The chairman OF the commit
tee agriculture had been imposed upon by
those officials, but while he would be the last
man to charge that gentleman with any desire to
deceive the House, he could not conceive why
that gentleman had shown so much feeling on
the floor, and pursued SO arbitrary course in
committee.
Mr. Warner, of Ohio, opposed the measure,
declaring that he had never known bill which
utterly ignored all constitutional limitations
of the general government and SO completely
trampled upon all State authority. He believed
that any State had right to resist such leeisla-
ton, and predicted that the Supreme Court
would never decide it to be constitutional. The
farmers could attend to their own cattle better
than some fool in authority in Washington
could. Yet, the theory upon which the bill was
based was that man picked up somewhere
and installed in a handsomely furnished office
IN Washington could manage the stock farms OF
the country better than the farmers themselves
could manage them. Why not extend the pro-
visions of the bill to the hog cholera and the
chicken gape7
Mr.. McMllen, Of Tennessee, argued that there
was no observance of constitutional rights or
constitutional limitations in the bill from one
end of it to the other. He protested strongly
against that provision which, he stated. permit
ted the agents of the Agricultural Department
to enter any mans homestead and, above all
law and all constitution, to range there at will.
While admitting the power of the general gov
eminent to regulate commerce, he denounced as
an unconstitutional, of1icious ntermeddling
with the rights of the citizens and the States
the provision authorizing the President to quar-
antine districts within State.
Mr. McAdoo, of New Jersey, protested, on be-
half of States rights and local self-government,
against the federal government remedying evils
over which the Constitution gave it author
ity. He would rather see all the cattle herds
in the country perish than have the cardinal
principle of local self government stabbed mere
by this bill. The proposition was to authorize
the President to usurp the powers of the State,
and to make MIN superior in State to the State
government itself.
Mr. Carey, of Wyoming, thought that the sub
ject of eXtirpation of pleuro- pneumonia was one
over which the general government must assume
| jurisdiction, and he believed that it had the
constitutional power to do so, inasmuch as it was
one with which the State authorities we're unable
| to COPE
Mr.. Springer, of Illinois, made q constitutional
argument in support of the bill, contending that
| the article of the Constitution upon which the
| opponents of the measure relied to show Its I'M
| constitutionality had reference only to criminal
| prosecutions and did not apply to question in
| vovng the preservation of public health. Salus
populi suprema lex; and he had never known an
| occasion when public health required the eXer-
| else of federal power that that power had not
| been exercised.
| On motion of Mr.. Hatch, of Missouri,
| amendment was adopted increasing from So 900
to $500 the salary of the chief of the bureau of
| animal industry.
On motion of Mr. Hemphll, of South Carroll
| ma, an amendment was adopted authorizing the
| commissioner to employ force within the lin
| Its of the appropriation made by Congress, pro-
vi6ed that no debt against the government shall
be created under the provisions of this bill.
| Mr.. Swinburne, of New York, offered an
| amendment providing that the force employed
| shall include three experts of scientific attain
| ments and not less than six years actual expert
ence in sanitary and pathological work, especial
| ly in the investigation of contagious diseases,
and to aid these experts in their Investigations all
| necessary cid shall be rendered by the Commits
| sioner of Agriculture.
Mr. Hatch opposed the amendment
| Mr. Henderson, of Iowa, favored the bill, an6
| urged its speedy passage
| Mr.. Swnburne's amendment was adopted-114
| to %
On motion of Mr.. O'Hara. Of North Carolina
| an amendment adopted requiring the ex
| perts provided for in Mr.. Swim burnes amend
| ment to report what means should be taken tt
! extirpate hog cholera.
The committee then rose without further &C
ton.
AS the legislative day of Thursday was still
continuing, unanimous consent was required fo
the holding of the weekly night session for CHI
consideration of pension bills, and Mr.. Wallace
of Louisiana, objecting, the House adjourned
until tomorrow.